Mavericks GM Nico Harrison Praises NBA Draft Pick Melvin Ajinca as ‘High Upside’ Wing

The Dallas Mavericks entered the 2024 NBA Draft with the 58th pick. However, they traded up to acquire the draft rights to Melvin Ajinca, who was selected with the 51st pick by the New York Knicks, using cash considerations, and the draft rights to Petteri Koponen, who was selected with the 30th pick in 2007.

Ajinca, a 6-foot-1 winger from France, last played for Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball. He appeared in 28 games and averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists while shooting 37.5% from the floor, 30.9% from beyond the arc and 79.7% on free throws.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison described the 20-year-old wing as someone with intriguing potential. “He’s really young and he has huge potential,” he said. “We just like the way he plays. He has a chance to be really good.”

Harrison sees Ajinca as a capable three-point shooter who can guard multiple positions and finish at the rim. The versatility he presents makes him an intriguing potential contributor going forward. “When you have a really good one, it opens up all the options,” he said. “They can guard multiple positions. They can obviously make 3s. They can finish. It seems like a coveted position. It’s just so versatile.”

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Harrison communicated a potential limitation on roster spots, which could result in Ajinca playing another season overseas as a draft and stash player or signing a two-way contract. The team has multiple options. He will play alongside Olivier-Maxence Prosper and the team’s two-way contract players in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July.

“I think the beauty of him being a European player is that we have a lot of options, and I think both of those things are on the table,” Harrison said. “We don’t have a lot of squad spots available, so I think that’s the beauty of his age and the fact that he’s playing (abroad). We can figure it out.”

After informing Ajinca that he had been selected, Harrison described his reaction as excited and praised him for having a positive attitude, while being impressed with his English.

“I just told him we’re excited to bring him in and we’re ready to go. He thanked us and he’s a great guy,” Harrison said. “Speaks great English. He’s really excited, so we’re excited.”

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The NBA will hold its Summer League this year from July 12-22 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. It’s a great opportunity for Ajinca to showcase his talent as the team navigates its options for filling roster spots.

Keep up MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA offseason and Luka Doncic during the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece.

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